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The 2022-23 PGA Tour season could also be trending in direction of turning into the 12 months of redemption after Russell Henley efficiently captured his fourth profession victory at the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. Following within the footsteps of Keegan Bradley and Mackenzie Hughes, Henley’s triumph at El Camaleon Golf Course broke a five-year drought from the winner’s circle and marked his first trophy increase for the reason that 2017 Houston Open.
Finishing the week at 23 below, Henley not solely shattered his winless streak but in addition loads of scoring information alongside the way in which. Both the 36-hole and 54-hole information fell at Mayakoba earlier within the week, and in the end gave method for Henley to possess the match scoring report as properly — matching Viktor Hovland’s 23-under whole in 2021.
For Henley, this week in Mexico, the place his placing lastly matched his beautiful iron play and correct driving, was greater than overdue. Ranking second, sixth and third in strokes gained method the final three seasons on the PGA Tour, Henley has skilled his justifiable share of gut-wrenching and heartbreaking moments within the closing levels of tournaments.
Earlier this 12 months, Henley went into the weekend at the 2022 Sony Open in full management of his sport. Playing the ultimate 36 holes in 8 below, the Georgia alum was tracked down by Hideki Matsuyama by a herculean effort that featured consecutive rounds of 7-under 63.
Falling in a playoff at Waialae Country Club simply months earlier, Henley missed out on additional holes totally at the 2021 Wyndham Championship. Commanding a three-stroke lead coming into the ultimate spherical, the 33-year-old carded 4 back-nine bogeys together with one on his 72nd gap which resulted from a 3 putt from 25 toes away.
“I just tried to learn from my past and my screw ups,” stated Henley. “That’s kind of what I took from the last two events that I played from the start of this season and just tried to learn what I am doing wrong and how can I get better with it. All those events that I didn’t close out, they hurt. You don’t know if you’ll ever get to win another one. It’s so hard out here. To come down 18 with a four-shot lead, it was just really cool. It’s still just … I don’t even know what to say.”
These moments of ache solely make this second of pleasure at Mayakoba that a lot deeper and that rather more significant as Henley got here into the occasion having failed to convert his final 5 54-hole leads into victories.
The consistency during which Henley has been ready to put himself on this place needs to be applauded, but consistency is hardly rewarded within the sport of golf with out the accompaniment of {hardware}, particularly on the PGA Tour. With such a powerful tee-to-green, presence — comparable to Bradley virtually — it does make the thoughts wander and picture what this win will do for Henley’s confidence and if this consistency of his can translate into much more titles.
From 2013-18, Henley was among the best putters on the PGA Tour earlier than fully falling off with the putter in hand. While Henley has skilled his troubles the final handful of seasons with the flat stick, his victory at the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship illustrates precisely what he’s able to when that membership cooperates.
A non-major champion — though a 54-hole chief at the 2021 U.S. Open — and a non-participant in Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups for the United States, typical knowledge and the sheer depth of the PGA Tour suggests that won’t change in 2023. But do not be stunned if come main championship season or come the time for Zach Johnson to make his captain’s picks for Rome if there is not a second when Henley’s identify is not at least introduced up in dialog. Grade: A+
Here are the grades for the remainder of the leaderboard at the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.
T3. Scottie Scheffler (-18): After a quiet fall, Scheffler lit up the course at Mayakoba on Sunday with a 9-under 62 and the spherical of the week at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. It was what we grew accustomed to from him early within the 12 months, and although he did not win, his finale made it simple to envision him bridging 2022 to 2023. Grade: A-
“I feel good, game feels good,” he stated. “I hit it nicely this week outside of the few, you know, bad breaks. And a few things go my way, a few more putts go in, I could have been right in the tournament, but obviously Russell’s playing great golf right now and hopefully he just continues to cruise.”
T15. Collin Morikawa (-15): Morikawa had his finest end of the autumn this week at Mayakoba, and it coincided with his work with a new putting coach. More curiously, he popped again at analyst Trevor Immelman after Immelman recommended that Morikawa has been struggling a bit due to how troublesome it’s to reside up to the ridiculously excessive customary he set for himself early in his profession by successful so typically (together with two of his first eight majors). Morikawa’s response was … form of odd.
“Wow, that’s hard to hear from him,” Morikawa informed Golf Channel. “I couldn’t care less what he says there because I don’t think that’s my bar. I think I’ve got so much more to improve. I’ve been near last on putting. I don’t think I’ve even finished close to being average on putting. If I can just get my putting to be average, I think there’s so much more to improve. I don’t know where that came from, but that kind of stings there. I don’t like to hear that.
“I do not know if it that was a praise, I’ll be trustworthy. If he did, possibly it got here off improper from what I heard. For me, I’ve by no means seen a ceiling. I simply need to preserve enhancing. Obviously we took a pair steps again this 12 months. It’s simply attempting to get higher on daily basis and attempting to enhance on little issues. I count on myself to play properly. I set actually excessive targets for myself. It simply sucks once they do not come by.”
This has to be a misunderstanding right here as a result of Immelman on no account was attempting to offend Morikawa. He was merely saying that top bars early in a single’s profession are troublesome to return to, which is true. Morikawa’s response was not commensurate with what Immelman’s posture towards him. Grade: B+
T10. VIktor Hovland (-16): It wasn’t the three-peat Hovland envisioned, however Hovland has now shot scores of 67-69-63-65-67-65-62-67-65-69-66-68 during the last three years at Mayakoba and misplaced to 9 of 393 opponents in that timespan. That is, after all, preposterous. Grade: B-
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